University of Oregon
Eugene, Oregon
An independent newspaper
Volume 98, Issue 78
TUESDAY, JANUARY 21,1997
INDEX
Opinion 2
News 3
Sports 9
Horoscope 14
Classifieds 14
Crossword 15
TODAY
The Young Life College
Fellowship is meeting in
the Walnut Room of the
EMU from 6:30 p.m. to
8:30 p.m.
INSIDE
The Oregon men’s basketball team loses for the fourth ,«' m
straight time, while the women split two in California <
Eugene Mayor Jim Toney answers questions about the
future of the University and the city
WEATHER
Scattered showers.
High 45. Low 40.
New group
focuses on
humanism
■ CAMPUS; Students for Freedom
From Religion offer resources for
atheists, agnostics and skeptics
By Joel McGrady
Freelance Reporter
University students can choose from
more than 20 campus organizations specif
ic to religious affiliation, but now students
who count themselves as agnostic, atheist
or skeptical of traditional religions have an
organization of their own.
BREWINGTON
Students for Freedom
From Religion (SFFR) re
cently formed on campus
to promote several key
ideas of humanism: "the
ethical tenets of personal
responsibility, account
ability, freedom and criti
cal inquiry,” according to
the organization's consti
tution.
brr K was created to bring together peo
ple interested in discussing secular and hu
manist ideas,” said Selena Brewington, one
of the group's founders. “We encourage
those who are involved in our discussions
to be informed. We provide books, maga
zines and on-line materials.
"We have an expressly non-religious
membership, but people who have reli
gious affiliations are encouraged to attend
and participate,” Brewington said.
“The most valuable human quality is the
ability to reason,” Brewington said. “Rea
soning allows us to be moral and to have
compassion. Reasoning also allows us to
question and to critically analyze. On cam
pus, our mission is to encourage a wide
range of activities. Among them: critical
Turn to CAMPUS, Page 8A
Clinton tales iatl
for second term
The Associated Press
Setting a new course for a new century,
william Jefferson Clin
ton claimed his second
term Monday.
“We must succeed
as one America,” the
president told an inau
gural crowd packing the
flag-decked Capitol
grounds.
“Ourgreatest re
sponsibility is to em
CLINTON
orace a new spirrt ot community tor a new
century,” Clinton said. “For any of us to suc
ceed, we must succeed as one America."
In his 22-minute address, Clinton
promised a government "humble enough”
not to try to solve all the nation’s ills yet
"strong enough" to help Americans im
prove their own lots.
mfocus
RELIGION
, MATHEW STIFFLER/Emerald
The Skinner Butte cross, erected in 1964, was deemed unconstitutional by the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.
By Donovan Pacholl
Freelance Reporter
The next time someone gazes up
at Skinner Butte, he or she might
notice something different. The
51-foot-tall cross — a well-known
landmark in Eugene that was
erected in 1964 — might not be
there.
Attorney Charles Porter filed a
lawsuit in December 1992 chal
lenging the cross' location on pub
lic land as a violation of church
and state.
“When the cross shows endorse
ment by the federal government,
that is a no-no,” Porter said.
Last summer the 9th U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals decreed the cross
unconstitutional. The American
Legion Post 3 had filed an appeal
to keep the cross standing, but the
U.S. Supreme Court denied the ap
peal because it was 12 minutes
late.
“We shouldn’t have this case de
cided based on a technicality,”
said Don Helm, Commander of Eu
gene’s American Legion.
Unless the attorney for Eugene’s
veteran group can persuade Dis
trict Judge Michael Hogan on Jan.
29, to drop federal court action on
the removal of the Skinner Butte
Cross, it will most likely be re
moved and relocated.
“After we appealed this deci
sion, we received approximately
40 phone calls from citizens who
agreed with us,” Helm said. “Only
Turn to CROSS, Page 7A
■ 1936-1964:
A series of
wooden crosses
are erected on
Skinner Butte
■ NOV. 1964:
Current cross
erected
■ 1969:
The cross as
"a religious sym
bol” is debated
by the courts
■ 1970:
Eugene declares
the cross a war
memorial
■ DEC. 1992:
Charles Porter
files a lawsuit
■ 1996:
American I egion
files an apeal
PFC controls allocation of incidental fees
■ FINANCE: The amount
students pay in University
incidental fees depends on
budgetary increases
By Autumn Oe Poe
Student Activities Reporter
Each year, students pay inciden
tal fees as part of their tuition, and
they often have no idea where the
money goes. The ASUO Programs
Finance Committee is the govern
ment body responsible for review
ing, deliberating and recommend
ing student program budgets to the
ASUO Student Senate for approval.
Every year, ASUO Programs Fi
nance Committee meetings are also
covered in the Oregon Daily Emer
ald.
The committee meetings often
evoke questions about what the PFC
is and does. Some commonly asked
questions concerning the PFC are
answered below.
Q How does the PFC affect students?
A | Students pay an annual incidental fee
i to the University. The incidental fee
money is then allocated to student organi
zations through the PFC. Student groups
must organize their finances and ap
proach the PFC each year to ask for fund
ing.
Q How much money does each
** student pay the University?
Each student paid $135.05 this
year, a 9.35 percent increase from
Turn to FINANCE, Page 7A
PFC
■ MEMBERS: The j
PFC is made up of a j
seven member
student-elected
board.
■ MONEY:
The PFC divides
$2,319,228 worth of ;
student incidental
fees between 96
student programs.